‘Lost’ comes to cryptic end, like the show itself

For six seasons, we followed the survivors of Oceanic Flight 815. They were lost on a deserted island which was inhabited by…uh, sorry. I’m not spoiling anything here. We all know how the show ended. And despite the great divide about the direction co-creators Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse decided to take, If you haven’t seen it yet or would love to see it again, the BD release of the ‘Lost’ Season 6 is available everywhere.

I’m not here to give you the entire run of the series, so let’s just pick-up where we left Jack, Kate, Sawyer and the rest of the gang. Juliet had detonated the bomb and everything was awash in white. We are then taken to an alternate timeline where Flight 815 lands safely at LAX. Yet, as we learned last season, time really has no meaning on the island and its inhabitants. While we watch the alternate timeline, we are also shown the survivors never having left the island. Yes, that’s what I said. They are there and they’re not there.

As the final season ends, we learned about some beginnings. Richard. Jacob. Widmore. The Island. We are again treated to the regular staple of characters and are reminded of characters past. Plot lines are tidied up and the few characters to survive may or may not be the ones you’d assume.

The show’s examination of the crashless timeline (called ‘flash sideways’ by the producers) versus the original timeline brings the differences to great relief. You start to see how important some characters are to others. Character links are a crucial component to the success of the show and some of the biggest past plot points are re-examined and some even resolved.

Picture quality for the BD issue of the final season is definitely the way to see it. One of the best features of shows on BD is the ability to do Season Play, which allows you to return to viewing the show, at whatever point you left it, and come back anytime to pick it back up. That’s handy if you have to run out the door and you just switch all your gear off. You can simply come back later, switch everything back on and it will remember where you were last.

And like the previous seasons, the Season 6 contains a boatload of special features.

EXTRAS:

One of the great things about the entire run of the series is how well they package the discs. I currently own every season on BD except Season 3 and I plan on getting that updated. Why? Because the special features, for the most part, are BD exclusive and with great frequency shot in HD.

• Commentaries: There are four commentaries available for mythos-heavy episodes “LA X”, “Across The Sea”, “Dr. Linus” and “Ab Aeterno”. Lindelof and Cuse provide a no-holds barred look at the show. Good commentaries are great to find and they don’t usually disappoint in these sets.

• Lost in 8:15 – A Crash Course: Want to catch up on the first five seasons? This quick-witted narrative takes you through the entire run of the series in about 8 minutes.

• Lost University – Master’s Program: Far as BD Live features go, I’m not really into them, but this feature has gotten great response from fans and first timers alike. Lots of history and much to learn about the mythos of the show.

• The New Man in Charge: In this 12-minute film, we’re treated to a series epilogue where the Island’s new protector starts to make big changes. This is a special episode only available on the season set.

• Crafting a Final Season: You don’t get much better than this really in depth feature about the making of the show’s final season. And its not that there’s a ton of material, but the quality of it. Lots of firsts, like watching Jorge Garcia read the final episode script for the first time and his immediate reaction. If you have a question about anyone’s motivations, I’m pretty certain you can find and answer in these extras.

• A Hero’s Journey: Examining the evolution of the characters and their respective storylines.

• See You in Another Life, Brotha: Take the Alternate Timeline for a spin with some of its key characters.

• Deleted Scenes and Lost Bloopers: Nine deleted; four minutes or so of bloopers.

Few television series have had the pleasure of becoming part of the American lexicon like ‘Lost’. I can remember lots of workplace conversations about an episode the mornings after. I didn’t get into the show until it became available on BD. My fiancé and I were hooked. And while she’s disappointed in the show’s end, I’m not entirely unhappy. Sure, there’s lots more questions I wish I could have answers to. But with the great packaging on the BD edition of this

I’m not here to give you the entire run of the series, so let’s just pick-up where we left Jack, Kate, Sawyer and the rest of the gang. Juliet had detonated the bomb and everything was awash in white. We are then taken to an alternate timeline where Flight 815 lands safely at LAX. Yet, as we learned last season, time really has no meaning on the island and its inhabitants. While we watch the alternate timeline, we are also shown the survivors never having left the island. Yes, that’s what I said. They are there and they’re not there.

As the final season ends, we learned about some beginnings. Richard. Jacob. Widmore. The Island. We are again treated to the regular staple of characters and are reminded of characters past. Plot lines are tidied up and the few characters to survive may or may not be the ones you’d assume.

The show’s examination of the crashless timeline (called ‘flash sideways’ by the producers) versus the original timeline brings the differences to great relief. You start to see how important some characters are to others. Character links are a crucial component to the success of the show and some of the biggest past plot points are re-examined and some even resolved.

Picture quality for the BD issue of the final season is definitely the way to see it. One of the best features of shows on BD is the ability to do Season Play, which allows you to return to viewing the show, at whatever point you left it, and come back anytime to pick it back up. That’s handy if you have to run out the door and you just switch all your gear off. You can simply come back later, switch everything back on and it will remember where you were last.

And like the previous seasons, the Season 6 contains a boatload of special features.

EXTRAS:

One of the great things about the entire run of the series is how well they package the discs. I currently own every season on BD except Season 3 and I plan on getting that updated. Why? Because the special features, for the most part, are BD exclusive and with great frequency shot in HD.

o Commentaries: There are four commentaries available for mythos-heavy episodes “LA X”, “Across The Sea”, “Dr. Linus” and “Ab Aeterno”. Lindelof and Cuse provide a no-holds barred look at the show. Good commentaries are great to find and they don’t usually disappoint in these sets.

o Lost in 8:15 – A Crash Course: Want to catch up on the first five seasons? This quick-witted narrative takes you through the entire run of the series in about 8 minutes.

o Lost University – Master’s Program: Far as BD Live features go, I’m not really into them, but this feature has gotten great response from fans and first timers alike. Lots of history and much to learn about the mythos of the show.

o The New Man in Charge: In this 12-minute film, we’re treated to a series epilogue where the Island’s new protector starts to make big changes. This is a special episode only available on the season set.

o Crafting a Final Season: You don’t get much better than this really in depth feature about the making of the show’s final season. And its not that there’s a ton of material, but the quality of it. Lots of firsts, like watching Jorge Garcia read the final episode script for the first time and his immediate reaction. If you have a question about anyone’s motivations, I’m pretty certain you can find and answer in these extras.

o A Hero’s Journey: Examining the evolution of the characters and their respective storylines.

o See You in Another Life, Brotha: Take the Alternate Timeline for a spin with some of its key characters.

o Deleted Scenes and Lost Bloopers: Nine deleted; four minutes or so of bloopers.

Few television series have had the pleasure of becoming part of the American lexicon like ‘Lost’. I can remember lots of workplace conversations about an episode the mornings after. I didn’t get into the show until it became available on BD. My fiancé and I were hooked. And while she’s disappointed in the show’s end, I’m not entirely unhappy. Sure, there’s lots more questions I wish I could have answers to. But with the great packaging on the BD edition of this of this landmark show, you really can’t go wrong on any level.

Lost: The Complete Sixth and Final Season

ABC Studios, 714 minutes, 15 episodes, 5 discs

DVD: $59.99

BD: $79.99

Lost: The Complete Collection

ABC Studios, 5,074 minutes, 36 discs

DVD: $229.99

BD: $279.99

And if you weren’t collecting the individual seasons, you can now buy a big box of them all. Extras: all the extras that were part of the individually sold seasons; four new featurettes, a “Senet” game replica, an island replica, episode guide, an Ankh and a blacklight penlight. Kind of a bummer if you did buy all the other ones. No word if the bonuses will be sold separately.